MoF Requests Standardization of Lottery Business

1:50:44 PM | 9/6/2023

The Ministry of Finance has reported that some domestic companies are unlawfully providing the service of buying foreign lottery tickets. Additionally, some websites and applications of payment intermediaries and credit institutions are providing the service of purchasing domestic lottery tickets but returning tickets to their customers. For computerized lottery tickets, the image of tickets is delivered to the registered email or displayed in the lottery application with incomplete ticket information: There is only a number sequence chosen by customers and there is no security code. Such an image is not compliant with the law and does not ensure the legal rights of the buyer.

To address this situation, the Ministry of Finance is working with other ministries (like the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Public Security) and local governments to intensify management and supervision, complete the regulatory framework for the lottery business, and strictly handle unlawful acts in the lottery business. The ministry has requested lottery companies and Vietlott to rectify the operations of their agents, inspect and supervise the distribution of tickets by lottery agents, and stop illicit business practices. In case there are signs of a criminal violation, records shall be transferred to the police for further investigation and settlement.

To ensure stable, lawful lottery business operations, protect the legal rights of lottery ticket buyers, and ensure social order and security, the Ministry of Finance requested distributors of online lottery tickets to immediately stop their unlawful activities.

Meanwhile, lottery buyers are recommended to only buy lottery tickets from lottery companies or from their authorized agents and keep winning lottery tickets to get rewards. Internet-based lottery ticket purchase is not recommended because this is contrary to the law. They should never buy foreign lottery tickets via websites and applications because they can be defrauded.

By Le Hien, Vietnam Business Forum